Shuffle skate



Dec. 16, 1969 w. R. ALLEN 3,484,116

SHUFFLE SKATE Filed Dec. 19, 1968 MAL/AM R AAAEA/ INVENTOR.

BY M

fiTTOP/VEVS United States Patent 3,484,116 SHUFFLE SKATE William R. Allen, 2029 N. Kenmore Ave., Los Angeles, Calif. 90027 Filed Dec. 19, 1968, Ser. No. 785,191 Int. Cl. A63c 17/14, 17/06 US. Cl. 28011.21 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A skate, suitable for attachment to a foot or shoe, is disclosed. The rear wheel on the skate rotates in only one direction, thereby allowing the skater to shuffle along on a pair of skates. The member containing the front wheel of the skate is mounted in a swivel permitting a rapid change in the direction of the skate.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The invention relates to the field of skates such as roller skates.

Prior art Skates such as roller skates and ice skates have been known in the prior art for a considerable length of time. One disadvantage with roller skates and ice skates is that to force one skate forward, the other skate must be turned in a direction other than the direction in which the skater intends to move to provide a support against which the skater may apply a force. Thus, with prior art skates, it is impossible to keep both skates in line with the direction of movement while attempting to propel oneself, particularly from a standing start.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A skate suitable for being used for shufiling is disclosed. The skate comprises a frame adapted to engage a shoe or a foot. The rear wheel of the skate contains a brake means allowing the wheel to rotate in only one direction. The member containing the front wheel of the skate is mounted in a swivel or caster means permitting the frame to swivel or turn and thus allowing the skater to change the direction in which the skate travels. Limit means are provided on the swivel means to limit the angle through which the front wheel may turn or swivel.

.It is an object of the present invention to provide skates that may be oriented in the direction in which the skater is traveling when the skater is propelling himself.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a skate which may be used by shuffiing.

Other objects of the present invention will be readily apparent from a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the appropriate drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 illustrates a top view of the skate;

FIGURE 2 illustrates a side view of the skate frame and the front and rear wheels of the skate;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of the rear wheel and braking means of the skate taken along section 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an expanded view of the brake means in contact with the rear wheel taken along section 44 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a cross section of the swivel means supporting the member to Which the front wheel is coupled, taken along section 5-5 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 6 is an expanded view of the limit means in the swivel means taken along section 66 of FIGURE 5.

3,484,116 Patented Dec. 16, 1969 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2, the skate frame 10 has an elongated foot shaped base 9 suitable for engaging a shoe or a foot. Front wheel support 28 is a cantilevered member coupled to the front of base 9. The width of support 28 at its cantilevered end, is wide enough to receive swivel mount 30. Rear wheel support members 20 are a pair of cantilevered flat members extending rearward from the shoe support 12 of frame 10. These members are suitable for receiving bearing 22 between the cantilevered ends of the members. Shoe support 12 is a semicircular lip extending vertically from the base 9 of frame 10 and is suitable for providing longitudinal support to a foot or shoe engaging frame 10. Frame 10, including base 9, support 28, members 20 and shoe support 12 may be molded as a single piece from plastic or similar material. Frame 10 may be made from any other suitable material which provides sufiicient structural strength such as metal or wood. It is desirable that frame 10 be as light as possible, consistent with providing sufficient structural strength.

Boot 14 is coupled to shoe support 12, base 9 and rear strap 16. The boot has the general shape of a truncated cone and is suitable for contacting and supporting an ankle. Boot 14 may be made of leather, rubber or reinforced fabric. Lace means 15 are provided with boot 14 in order that the boot may be tightened against an ankle, thereby insuring the desired support to the ankle.

The rear strap 16 and the forward strap 18 are coupled to frame 10 and are utilized to secure a shoe or foot within frame 10. Straps 16 and 18 may be ordinary leather straps, having commonly utilized buckle means for tightening the strap against a shoe or foot.

Rear wheel 24 is coupled to the wheel support members 20 by bearing 22. Well known coupling and bearing means may be used in this application. Commonly utilized ball bearings or roller bearings may be used. Rear wheel 24 may be of rubber or phenolic wheel, or may be made of numerous other materials suitable for use in wheels. It is within the scope of this invention to have a plurality of rear wheels 24, in the illustrated embodiment only a single wheel 24 is shown. The wheel rotates about a stationary axis, i.e., an axis transverse to the centerline of the skate.

Front wheel 26 is coupled to front wheel support member 35. Support member 35 is a U-shaped member preferably made of metal and suitable for receiving and supporting bearing 23 between the U-shape. Front wheel 26 is mounted to front wheel support member 35 through bearing 23. Bearing 23 and wheel 26 may be similar to wheel 24 and bearing 22 utilized in the rear of the skate frame' It is within the scope of the present invention to utilize a plurality of front wheels 26, although in the illustrated embodiment only one front wheel 26 is shown.

Member 35 is coupled to support 28 through a caster or swivel means illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 5. A cupshaped swivel mount 30 is coupled to front wheel support 28. The inner part of mount 30 is suitable for receiving ball bearing member 38. Member and plate 34 are held between ball bearings 38 and 39 by plate 36. Plate 34 is a flat plate rigidly coupled to member 35. Bolt 31 which is rigidly coupled to plate 36 is disposed through support 28 and held in place by nut 32. A cylindrical-shaped sleeve 33 is disposed between swivel mount 30 and bearing plate 36 thus, preventing bolt 31 from being tightened to where member 35 and plate 34 would not turn freely between ball bearings 38 and 39. Sleeve 33 is short enough so that member 35 andplate 34 are securely held within caster mount 30. Thus, front wheel 26 is able to turn freely within swivel mount 30' between bearings 38 and 39. Sleeve 33, mount 36, bearing plates 36, plate 34, bolt 31, nut 23 and bearings 28 and 29 may be commonly utilized metal parts. Other commonly utilized caster or swivel means, which would allow front wheel support member 35 to turn freely relative to front wheel support 28 may be utilized in this application.

Limit means are provided to prevent the movement of front wheel support member 35 beyond defined limits within swivel mount 30. Referring to FIGURES and 6 the structure and operation of the limit means may be readily understood. Lever arm 37 is rigidly coupled to bolt 31. Arm 37 is an elongated member having a rectangular cross section, which is rigidly fastened to bolt 31 by any commonly known means such as welding. The previously discussed bearing plate 36 is supported by arm 37. Arm 3 7 is held rigidly in line with the elongated axis of frame by bolt 3-1 and nut 32. As front wheel support member turns in swivel mount 30, member 35 comes in contact with arm 37 and is unable to turn beyond the point where contact is made with the arm.

In FIGURE 6 member 35 is illustrated in a position where it has turned through angles 42'; member 35 shown as member 35' is contacting arm 37. As is readily apparent the front wheel support member is unable to turn beyond angle 42". Member 35 shown as member 35" is again prevented from turning beyond angle 42" since the member is contacting arm 37. Thus, the angle through which support member 35 may turn is limited by arm 37. In the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, angle 42' and 42" are each equal to approximately twenty (20) degrees.

Brake means are provided on rear wheel 24 so that the wheel rotates freely in only one direction. Referring to FIGURES 3 and 4, brake arm 51 is coupled to the skate frame 10 by brake support members 56 and spring 50. The brake arm 51 is an irregularly shaped, elongated member having. a rectangular cross section. One end of the arm is coupled to frame 10 by a pair of brake support members 56. The other end of the arm engages wheel 24 by means of brake lining 53. Spring is coupled to approximately the center of the arm. Brake arm 51 may be made of plastic or metal or other similar materials.

Brake support members 56 are elongated members preferably made of metal. One end of the members is rigidly coupled to frame 10 by means 55. Means 55 may be welding means, screw or bolt means or any other means which would rigidly hold members 56 against frame 10. Members 56 are hingingly coupled to arm 51 by means 54. Means 54 may be any commonly utilized method of hingingly coupling one member to another.

Spring 50, a helical metal spring, is disposed through frame 10. One end of spring 50 contains upper spring hook 58 which is hooked to shoe support 12. The other end of spring 50 contains lower spring book 57 which is hooked about rod 52. Rod '52, preferably a metal rod, is disposed through arm 51 perpendicular to spring 50 so that hook 57 may be coupled to rod 52. Spring 50 is under tension when hooked as illustrated.

Brake lining 53 may be any commonly utilized brake lining material preferably one compatible with the wheel material. The lining is rigidly coupled to arm 51. Brake lining 53 contacts wheel 24 below the center of rotation 62 of the wheel 24. The angle 64 formed by the face for brake lining 53 and a vertical line passing through the center of rotation 62 of wheel 24 is less than 90. With the brake lining 53 held in the position as illustrated, by arm 51, wheel 24 is substantially prevented from turning in the direction indicated by arrow 64. The wheel may freely turn in the direction indicated by arrow 63. Thus, brake means are provided for preventing wheel 24 from rotating in the rearward direction. Other commonly known braking means for allowing wheel 24 to turn freely in only one direction may be used within the scope of the present invention.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2, the use of the skate may be readily understood. The skater engages his foot or shoe within the skate frame 10, the foot or shoe being securely fastened within the frame by means of straps 16 and 18 and by means of boot support 14. The skate is preferably used by placing a skate on each foot. The skater is able to shufiie along once the skates are placed on his foot, without turning one foot at an angle to support the forward movement of the other foot as is normally required with roller skates or ice skates. The support required to move one foot forward is obtained from the braking means since the rear wheel will turn only in the forward direction. Thus, the skater may support the forward movement of one foot by attempting to push backwards with the other foot.

It has been found that greater stability can be obtained in the disclosed skate wherein the plane defined by the bottom of a shoe or foot engaging frame 10 is below the center of rotation of the front and rear wheels of the skate. Referring to FIGURE 2 the bottom of a shoe or foot 17 engaging base 9 is shown by line 60. The center of rotation 63 of front wheel 23 and the center of rotation 62 of rear Wheel 24 are both above line 60, thus providing greater stability in the skater.

What is claimed is:

1. A skate comprising:

a frame suitable for engaging a foot;

a front wheel means coupled to said frame;

a rear wheel means coupled to said frame; and

a brake means comprising, a brake arm having one end hingingly coupled to said frame and the other end engaging the periphery of the rear wheel and a spring means coupled at one end to the frame and at its other end to the arm between the ends of the arm, the point of engagement of the arm with the wheel periphery being such that the brake arm prevents rearward rotation of the wheel while permitting forward rotation of the wheel.

2. The skate defined in claim 1 wherein said front wheel is mounted to said frame in a swivel means.

3. The skate defined in claim 2 wherein limit means are adapted to said swivel means for limiting the angle through which said swivel may turn.

4. The skate defined in claim 3 wherein said front wheel means and said rear wheel means are each single wheels.

5. The skate defined in claim 4 wherein a boot, for providing support to an ankle, is coupled to said frame.

6. The skate defined in claim 5 wherein the center of rotations of said front and rear wheels are above the plane defined by the bottom of a foot engaging said frame.

7. The skate defined in claim 6 wherein a pair of straps are coupled to said frame, for securing a foot engaging said frame.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,345,038 6/1920 Uppling 280--11.21 2,097,721 11/1937 Cledina 28011.21

FOREIGN PATENTS 10,985 1904 Great Britain.

418,929 3/ 1947 Italy.

LEO FRIAGLIA, Primary Examiner M. L. SMITH, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 280-1123 

